TL;DR

• Submission guidelines are binding rules, not suggestions.

• Scope and aims sections tell you if your paper fits before you submit.

• Word limits, citation styles, and file formats are checked before peer review begins.

• Ignoring formatting rules is the most common reason papers are desk-rejected.

• Read the guidelines in a fixed order to avoid missing critical requirements.

You have finished your paper. You have a journal in mind. You open the submission page and find a wall of text covering word counts, reference formats, ethical declarations, cover letter requirements, and file specifications. Most researchers, including experienced ones, skim this page too quickly and pay for it later. A paper rejected for formatting reasons never even reaches a reviewer.

Knowing how to read a journal's submission guidelines is not a minor administrative skill. It is the difference between a paper that moves forward and one that is returned before anyone reads the research itself. The guidelines exist to protect the integrity of the review process, and journals enforce them strictly.

This post walks through every major section of a typical submission guidelines page, explains what each part actually means, and shows you how to check your paper against each requirement before you hit submit.

What submission guidelines actually control

Submission guidelines control whether your paper reaches peer review at all. They cover four broad areas: scope fit, manuscript formatting, ethical requirements, and administrative documents. A paper can fail at any of these four stages before a single reviewer ever sees it. Understanding this structure helps you read the guidelines in the right order rather than jumping between sections.

Most journals publish their guidelines under a page titled "Author Guidelines," "Instructions for Authors," or "Submission Instructions." The location varies, but every reputable journal has one. If you cannot find it, look in the footer or the "Submit" section of the journal's homepage.

Before you read a single word of the guidelines, open a blank checklist document. You will fill it in as you go. This prevents the common mistake of reading everything once, feeling confident, and then forgetting a key requirement at the point of submission.

How to read the scope and aims section first

The scope and aims section tells you whether the journal publishes research like yours. Read it before anything else. If your paper does not fit the journal's stated scope, no amount of perfect formatting will save it. A desk rejection on scope grounds is the fastest rejection possible, and it is entirely avoidable.

Scope statements use specific language. A journal that publishes "empirical studies on adolescent cognitive development" will not publish a theoretical literature review on adult learning, even if the topic is adjacent. Look for the following signals as you read:

1. The disciplines or fields the journal covers explicitly.

2. The study types it accepts, such as original research, reviews, case studies, or brief reports.

3. Any populations, regions, or time periods it focuses on.

4. Topics or methodologies it states it does not consider.

For example, PLOS ONE accepts research across all scientific disciplines but requires that submissions report scientifically sound methodology, regardless of novelty or impact. Frontiers in Psychology publishes across psychology subfields but requires that each submission be assigned to a specific specialty section before review begins. Both journals state these requirements clearly in their scope sections. Missing them costs you time.

If your paper fits the scope, note it on your checklist and move on. If you are unsure, most journals allow a brief pre-submission enquiry by email. Use it.

How to read the manuscript formatting requirements

Formatting requirements are the most detailed part of any submission guidelines page, and they are also the most commonly violated. They cover word count, structure, citation style, figures, tables, and file format. Each requirement is specific, and most are non-negotiable.

Work through formatting requirements in this order:

1. Word count. Check whether the limit includes or excludes references, tables, and figure captions. Many journals count only the body text. Others count everything. The guidelines will specify. If they do not, email the editorial office and ask.

2. Structure. Most journals require a standard structure: abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusion, references. Some journals, particularly in the humanities, use a different structure. Follow the one the journal specifies, not the one your institution taught you by default.

3. Abstract format. Some journals require a structured abstract with labelled sections such as Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusion. Others require a single unstructured paragraph. The word limit for abstracts is usually separate from the main word count.

4. Citation and reference style. The three most common styles are APA (American Psychological Association), AMA (American Medical Association), and Vancouver. Humanities journals often use Chicago or MLA. The guidelines will name the style. If they reference a specific edition, use that edition.

5. File format. Most journals accept Microsoft Word (.docx) files for the manuscript and TIFF or EPS files for figures. Some accept PDF for initial submission but require Word at revision. Check this before you format your final document.

If you are using a platform to help you prepare and structure your submission, joining the waitlist for Publication Compass gives you early access to tools built specifically for this stage of the process.

How to read the ethical requirements section

Ethical requirements cover how your research was conducted and how you disclose your role in it. Most journals aligned with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines require authors to address several standard declarations. COPE publishes its guidelines publicly at publicationethics.org, and many journals link directly to them.

The declarations you will most commonly encounter are:

1. Ethics approval. If your research involved human participants or animals, the journal will ask for the name of the ethics committee that approved the study and the approval reference number. Student researchers should confirm with their institution whether their project required formal ethics review.

2. Informed consent. Research involving human participants typically requires a statement confirming that participants gave informed consent. Some journals require this statement in the methods section; others require it in a separate declaration.

3. Conflict of interest. All authors must declare any financial or personal relationships that could influence the research. If there are none, you write "The authors declare no conflict of interest."

4. Data availability. Many journals now require a statement explaining where the data underlying the study can be accessed, or a clear explanation of why the data cannot be shared.

These are not optional formalities. Journals can retract published papers if ethical declarations are found to be missing or inaccurate after publication. Read this section carefully and prepare your declarations before you begin the submission form.

Understanding how to read a journal's submission guidelines at the ethical level is something many student researchers overlook. If your research was conducted as part of a school project, check with your teacher or supervisor about what ethics documentation is appropriate for your context. Some journals have specific tracks or criteria for student submissions. Publication Compass covers the academic publishing process from submission preparation through journal matching, including guidance on what to expect at each stage.

How to read the cover letter and administrative document requirements

Most journals require a cover letter submitted alongside the manuscript. The cover letter is not a formality. Editors read it to confirm scope fit, check for undisclosed conflicts, and verify that the submission meets basic criteria before it is logged into the system.

A standard cover letter includes the following elements, in this order:

1. The title of the paper and the journal you are submitting to.

2. A two to three sentence summary of what the paper reports and why it is relevant to the journal's readership.

3. A statement confirming the paper is not under review elsewhere and has not been published previously.

4. A statement confirming all authors have approved the submission.

5. Contact details for the corresponding author.

Some journals also ask for suggested reviewers or a list of reviewers you wish to exclude. Both are optional in most cases but worth preparing if the guidelines mention them.

Beyond the cover letter, check whether the journal requires a separate title page. Many journals use double-blind peer review, meaning reviewers do not know who the authors are. In this case, the main manuscript must contain no author names or institutional affiliations anywhere in the text. Author information goes on a separate title page only. If you miss this and submit a manuscript with your name in the header, the journal's system may still process it, but it undermines the blind review process and some journals will return the file.

How to do a final compliance check before submitting

A compliance check is a structured review of your manuscript against every item in the submission guidelines. Do this after you believe the paper is ready, not before. Doing it too early means you will need to repeat it.

Work through your checklist in this order:

1. Scope confirmed as a match.

2. Word count verified, with clarity on what is included in the count.

3. Structure matches the journal's required format.

4. Abstract formatted correctly and within the stated word limit.

5. All citations formatted in the correct style and edition.

6. Figures and tables formatted and labelled as specified.

7. File saved in the correct format.

8. All ethical declarations prepared and accurate.

9. Cover letter complete and addressed to the correct editor if named.

10. Title page separated from the manuscript if blind review is required.

This process takes time the first time you do it. It becomes faster with practice. The goal is to submit a manuscript that requires no administrative corrections before review begins. Every correction request from an editorial office adds days or weeks to the timeline.

For student researchers navigating this process for the first time, the Publication Compass platform is designed to help you identify the right journals and understand what each one requires before you submit.

FAQ

What happens if I do not follow a journal's submission guidelines?

Your paper will likely be desk-rejected before peer review. Desk rejection means an editor returns the paper without sending it to reviewers, usually because it fails a formatting or scope requirement. This does not reflect on the quality of your research, but it does cost you time. Most journals state their desk rejection criteria in the guidelines.

Do submission guidelines change between journals in the same field?

Yes, they change significantly. Two journals in the same discipline can require different citation styles, word counts, abstract formats, and file types. Never assume that guidelines from one journal apply to another, even if both are published by the same publisher. Always read the guidelines for the specific journal you are targeting.

How do I find a journal's submission guidelines?

Go to the journal's official website and look for a link labelled "Author Guidelines," "Instructions for Authors," or "Submit Your Manuscript." These links are usually in the main navigation or the footer. If the journal is indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), the journal's page there often links directly to submission information.

What is a desk rejection and how do I avoid it?

A desk rejection happens when an editor returns a paper without peer review, usually within days of submission. The most common reasons are scope mismatch, formatting violations, and missing ethical declarations. Avoiding desk rejection requires reading the full submission guidelines before writing the final draft, not after.

Should student researchers follow the same submission guidelines as professional researchers?

Yes. Journals apply the same submission standards to all authors regardless of career stage. Some journals, such as the Journal of Emerging Investigators, are specifically designed for student researchers and their guidelines reflect that context. For general academic journals, the requirements are identical for all submitting authors.

Conclusion

Reading a journal's submission guidelines is not the most exciting part of research. It is one of the most important. A paper that does not meet the stated requirements will not reach peer review, regardless of how strong the research is. The process is straightforward once you know what to look for: scope first, then formatting, then ethics, then administrative documents. Work through each section with a checklist and verify every requirement before you submit.

If you are at the stage of identifying journals and preparing your first submission, the Publication Compass blog covers each part of the academic publishing process in detail, from structuring your manuscript to understanding peer review feedback.